Creative Canadian Cuisine

Food and travel guest blogger hkLifestyleGeek gives us her next scoop on fantastic restaurants around town and travel tips. Contact her at hklifestylegeek@hkfashiongeek.com

Disclosure: SEVVA is a client of FashionGeek’s day job. All views are presented by guest blogger LifestyleGeek

What is Canadian cuisine? Maple syrup, smoked salmon, and that artery-clogging poutine! But thankfully Vancouver chef David Hawksworth takes a more refined route when it comes to Canadian, or more precisely, west coast cuisine. And you can sample his creative offerings at SEVVA until Friday March 30. Set lunch tasting menus start at HK$460, dinner at HK$1,500.

Hawksworth made a name for himself at West restaurant in Vancouver and then last year struck out on his own with a place named after him where the former Hotel Georgia is located. The hostess with the mostess Bonnie Gokson met Hawksworth when she attended a wedding in Vancouver last year. That led to her bringing him and his team here to present some dishes for Hong Kong diners to try. The results are nothing short of amazing.

The seven-course dinner started with an amuse bouche, a different kind of sushi featuring uni on deep-fried crunchy rice topped with a thin slice of jalapeno. Hawksworth likes to play on textures and tastes and this was evident throughout the meal.

Next came the tuna ceviche with chili, avocado, amaranth and lime that was also smooth and crunchy, refreshing and light, featuring chunks of dark tuna, amaranth leaves and drizzled with lime.

A well-paired combination of seared foie gras came next with maple and bourbon sauce, garnished with apple slices. The sharp taste and crunch of the apples contrasted with the smoothness of the foie gras, and came with a reduced apple sauce and light maple foam.

One of the favourites of the evening was the green pea risotto and truffle. The dish came in a brilliant apple green topped with a thin black truffle slice. And the taste was heavenly as there were fresh peas intermingled with the risotto to give intermittent bursts of flavour. Good to the last bite.

Another winner was the roasted sablefish, dungeness crab and pea tendrils. The pine mushroom consumme was poured into the bowl at the table and the sablefish was perfectly cooked, dressed with the pea tendrils and garnished with flower petals.

The last main course was a slice of pan roasted duck breast accompanied with foraged mushrooms, something very special for Hong Kong, and celeriac, with the intriguing puffed wild rice and natural jus. The fall flavours were totally in play here with the duck being very tender and juicy with the mushrooms that were small and rustic.

Finally we ended the waistline-expanding menu with a dessert called "candy bar", basically a dark chocolate fudge, layered with candied peanuts, and milk chocolate foam. It was definitely a chocolate lover's dream come true with its richness and smoothness, but also had crunchy and soft bits too.

So if you have a chance, check out Hawksworth and his culinary prowess at SEVVA -- before Friday!

Your tastebuds will thank you.

SEVVA
25/F, Prince's Building
10 Chater Road
Central
2537 1388
www.sevva.hk